Paper Trails

34.

So really quickly I wanted to thank you guys for your patience and understanding. I appreciate it so much. As do I appreciate how loyal you guys are to this story. Thank you. ❤️

*I'm not sure this chapter is all that great, but I wanted to wrap up this certain relationship for now.

I've been listening to Blonde/Endless way too much, so expect a fuckload of Frank Ocean lyrics. 

"What could I do to know you better than I do now?
What can I do to love you more than I do now?"
~ Alabama, Frank Ocean

*****

"Tyler?" I stepped out the bathroom, my eyes locking on a figure laying crumpled on the floor.

"What the fu—Tyler?" I threw myself at him, my knees banging against the floor. I frantically checked him for bruises or marks or scars. "Tyler? Tyler, what did he do to you? What did he...did he hurt you?"

I brushed his hair away from his face and cupped his chin, forcing him to look up and into my eyes. He had a black eye and he was skinnier, but other than that he didn't seem to be injured severely. Unshed tears filled his eyes and my heart broke. Nothing else needed to be said. I pulled his head to my chest and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. His hands gripped my forearm and suddenly he was shaking.

"Tyler? Tyler, babe, no. Stop crying."

"I..." his voice was hoarse. "I'm so tired, Neila."

"Tyler?"

"Did I ever tell you how I ended up here?"

"No," I whispered. I'd always wondered how a sweetheart like Tyler could end up working for a man like Christopher. I never asked in case the topic was too sensitive.

He pulled away and rested his head on my lap. I stroked his hair, knowing it calmed him. He sighed, and his eyes closed as if he were about to sleep. He looked peaceful, even if for a moment.

"When Chris found me, I was practically dead. You don't even want to know how many drugs were in my system. I was on the street somewhere. Maybe a sidewalk or in the slums or...I don't know. Somewhere, passed out. Barely breathing." His eyes opened and he stared blankly at the wall across the room. "I was laying in the streets somewhere barely breathing, and people were walking past me like it was nothing. No one helped. I would have been dead if Chris hadn't found me."

"He saved you."

"Depends on your definition of 'saved'. I mean, he helped me. Got me to a hospital. Saved my life. But...he didn't save me." Tyler smiled sadly. "He was nice at first. Visited me at the hospital every single day. Brought me books and dvds and food. He talked to me. Made me feel human again. Made me feel like a person."

My eyes drifted shut. I could picture it. Chris sitting at a chair next to Tyler, laying in a hospital bed. It was so easy to see. Chris was good at being the good guy.

He was even better at turning into the bad guy.

"He made me feel good. I felt good for once, Ny. When I was discharged, he took me in. Took care of me. I was so fucking grateful and...I started to like him. Really like him." Tyler's voice started to shake. "He wasn't all bad. That was the worst part. The guy who brought me to the hospital and took care of me is the same guy who starves me when I try to defend you."